Latest news with #VermilionCountyMetropolitanEnforcementGroup
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Yahoo
Danville man sentenced to 8 years in IDOC on drug charges
On May 8, Langston Bowles, age 34, formerly of Danville, Illinois, pleaded guilty to Unlawful Possession of a Weapon by a Felon, a class 2 felony, and to Unlawful Possession with Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance, a class 1 felony. Bowles was sentenced to eight years in the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC). Following his term of imprisonment, Bowles is required to serve one year of mandatory supervised release. Judge Karen E. Wall presided over the plea and sentencing. The People presented evidence that the Vermilion County Metropolitan Enforcement Group executed a search warrant on the residence of Bowles, who was not present at the time of the search. Items were located inside his residence including a substance that field tested positive for cocaine, a firearm, and mail labeled with Bowles' name and address. He was later apprehended. State's Attorney Jacqueline Lacy expressed her gratitude to the Vermilion County Metropolitan Enforcement Group for their unwavering commitment to removing deadly drugs and dangerous weapons from the hands of criminals. She added, 'The agents of the Vermilion County Metropolitan Enforcement Group play a vital role in protecting the safety and well-being of the residents of our communities.'
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Yahoo
Vermilion County man sentenced for Counterfeiting
URBANA — Jacob R. Kirkley, 48, of Bismarck, was sentenced May 2, to four years in prison for his second federal counterfeiting conviction, as well as an additional 18 months in prison for violating his federal supervised release, which was imposed following his first counterfeiting conviction. When Kirkley completes his combined five-and-a-half year sentence, he will be required to serve three years of federal supervised release. The sentences followed a trial last December in Urbana where a federal jury convicted Kirkley of manufacturing, selling, and possessing counterfeited United States currency. During two days of trial testimony, the government presented evidence to establish that, on Dec. 7, 2023, Kirkley sold an undercover officer with the Illinois State Police $1,000 of counterfeited U.S. currency that he had made for $250. On Dec. 13, 2023, and Jan. 8, 2024, Kirkley sold the same undercover officer another $1,000 and $5,000 in counterfeit U.S. currency that he had made, respectively. On Jan. 11, 2024, agents of the U.S. States Secret Service and Vermilion County Metropolitan Enforcement Group executed a federal search warrant at Kirkley's residence in Bismarck and recovered additional counterfeit currency, as well as various items used to counterfeit the currency. At the time Kirkley committed those offenses, he was on federal supervised release for a previous federal counterfeiting conviction. In 2022, Kirkley was convicted of one count of manufacturing U.S. currency and two counts of passing U.S. currency after a 2020 incident where a Vermilion County Sheriff's Deputy found over $20,000 of counterfeit U.S. currency in his truck and then learned Kirkley had passed counterfeit currency at Carnaghi's Towing and McDonald's in Danville, and Dollar General in Tilton. At the time, the deputy also found over $20,000 counterfeit U.S. currency, plus four printers, a paper cutter, and numerous counterfeit-making implements in Kirkley's hotel room at the Budget Inn in Danville. Kirkley served 27 months in federal prison for those offenses and was serving a three-year term of federal supervised release at the time that he committed his latest counterfeiting offenses. Kirkley was released from federal prison in May 2023, six months before committing these offenses. At the time of sentencing, the government presented evidence that Kirkley violated his federal supervised release not only by committing a new counterfeiting offense, but also by testing positive for methamphetamine use on eight separate occasions. The government also presented evidence that Kirkley had told the undercover officer during a covertly recorded conversation that 'my name's a red flag for any kind of ... counterfeit material at all,' that he learned how to use 'Bible paper' to counterfeit currency when he was in federal prison the first time, and that he believed he would 'be screwed' and would have 'the book' thrown at him if he were caught counterfeiting again.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Yahoo
Vermilion Co. man sentenced to prison in second counterfeit conviction
VERMILION COUNTY, Ill. (WCIA) — Three years after a Vermilion County man was convicted of counterfeit charges, he has once again been convicted of counterfeiting, and sentenced to four years in prison. 48-year-old Jacob Kirkley of Bismarck was sentenced to four years in prison on May 2, for his second federal counterfeiting conviction. Kirkley was released from federal prison in May 2023, six months before committing his second counterfeit offense. In December of 2024, WCIA reported that a federal jury returned five guilty verdicts of manufacturing, selling, and possessing counterfeited United States currency. Evidence presented in court indicates that on Dec. 7, 2023, Kirkley sold an undercover officer $1,000 of fake U.S. money that he made for $250. Later, Kirkley sold the same undercover officer another $6,000 in counterfeit U.S. money. Potomac man sentenced for creating, using counterfeit money In January 2024, U.S. Secret Service and Vermilion County Metropolitan Enforcement Group agents got a search warrant for Kirkley's home and found additional counterfeit money, as well as items used to make counterfeit currency. When Kirkley committed those offenses, he was on federal supervised release for a 2022 counterfeiting conviction. That stems from an incident in 2020 when a Vermilion County Sheriff's Deputy found over $20,000 of counterfeit U.S. currency in his truck. The deputy also learned Kirkley had passed counterfeit currency at Carnaghi's Towing and McDonald's in Danville, and Dollar General in Tilton. After searching Kirkley's hotel room at the Budget Inn in Danville, deputies found over $20,000 counterfeit U.S. currency, four printers, a paper cutter, and counterfeit-making tools. Kirkley served 27 months in federal prison and was serving three years of federal supervised release when he committed his latest offense. Danville Fire Lieutenant retires after 20 years The government presented evidence that Kirkley violated his supervised release by testing positive for methamphetamine use on eight separate occasions. And, the government said Kirkley had told the undercover officer that '[his] name's a red flag for any kind of . . . counterfeit material at all,' that he learned how to use 'Bible paper' to counterfeit currency in prison, and that he believed he would 'be screwed' and would have 'the book' thrown at him if he were caught counterfeiting again. U.S. District Judge Colin S. Bruce found that Kirkley had not accepted responsibility for his crimes. Because of this, he followed the government's recommendation to impose a longer sentence. Demolition of Bresee Tower may cause complications for locals, drivers Kirkley was sentenced four years in prison, as well as an additional 18 months for violating his federal supervised release. Once he completes his five-and-a-half year sentence, he will be required to serve another three years of federal supervised release. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
